Work support



1929. v. E. HIPPERSON ET AL 1,737,719

WORK SUPPORT Filed March 22. 1922 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFHOE VICTOR E. HIPPERSON, OF NORWICH, AND JOSEPH GOULDBOURN, OFLEICESTER, ENG- LAND, ASSIGNORS TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, OFEATER-SON, NEVL JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY WORK SUPPORTApplication filed March 22, 1922, Serial No. 545,688, and in GreatBritain April 27, 1921.

This invention relates to work supports, and is illustrated herein asembodied in a work support adapted to be used in supporting boots andshoes during the insertion of fastenings therein.

It is usual in the manufacture of shoes having leather heels to insert aseries of slugs in the toplift of each heel, adjacent to the peripherythereof. The supporting of a shoe having a low heel and its presentationto the slug inserting instrumentalities of ma chines such as are usedfor this purpose is a comparatively easy matter. In the case of highheeled shoes, which are ordinarily made with a substantial wedge to theheel sothat the heal seat surface and the tread surface are positionedat a considerable inclination to each other, the matter is far fromsimple. If it is attempted to insert a row of slugs around the peripheryof the toplift of a high Louis or Cuban heel, the tread surface of whichis inclined with respect to the heel seat surface, the rotation of theshoe and heel about the substantially vertical last pin of the ordinarywork support is such as continuously and progressively to change therelation of the plane of the tread surface to the horizontal. Theproblem is further complicated by the fact that the inclination or anglebetween the heel seat and the tread surface of heels of this charactervaries to a very large extent, dependent upon the size and style of theshoe and the height of the heel. Obviously, it is highly desirable thatsuch a work support have an adaptability sufficient to permit its useduring the slugging of shoes having heels of any known formation.

The pin holes of lasts are ordinarily bored in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the heel seat portion of the last and accordingly at aninclination to the tread surface of any heel which has a substantialwedge, with the result that, as the last is rotated about the last pin,the tread surface of such a heel, instead of rotating in a plane, movesapproximately through a conical surface, with an edge, instead ofthefiat surface of the top-i lift, against the presser plate of the machineduring the major portion of the operation. As the heel is necessarilyunder considerable pressure this often results in injury to the heel andin imperfect insertion of the slugs.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide animproved work support of such a character that a shoe having a wedgedheel, that is a heel the tread surface of which is inclined with respectto the heel seat surface, may be rotated during the insertion offastenings with its tread surface at all times in a single plane.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a work support ofthis character which shall be operative properly to support shoes of allsizes and types irrespective of the heights of their heels or of theextent of the wedge thereof.

\Vith these objects in view a feature of the invention comprises a workengaging member such as a last pin adjustably or otherwise carried by aplate or block mounted not only to permit rotary movement of the workabout an axis perpendicular to the presser plate of the machine but alsofor universal rocking movement or for both rocking and linear movement,with the center about which the rocking movement takes place out ofalinement or movable out of alinement with the last pin. In theillustrated embodiments of the invention the rockingor rocking andlinear movement is accomplished by mounting the last pin carrying blockor plate on a ball so as to permit relative rocking movement or rockingand sliding movement of the ball and the ball engaging portions of thedevice.

With the above and other objects and features in view the invention willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings whichdisclose an illustrative embodiment thereof and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, v

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly insection, of an embodiment of. theinvention;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4, are a front elevation, a side elevation, and aperspective view of another form thereof.

The construction of Fig. 1, which is applicable to the slugging of suchheels, for example Louis heels, as have a toplift the periphery of whichapproximates team are of a circle, comprises a last pin 6 projectingperpendicularly from an elongated plate 8 upon which the top surface ofthe cone portion of a last may rest. This plate is of substantially thewidth of the cone of a last and has projecting from its sides near oneend thereof a pair of lugs 10 acting as a stop to restrain relativemovement of the work and the last pin during the slugging operation.Plate 8 is carried by and is rigid with. a ball 12 arranged out ofalinement with the last pin 6 and resting in a cupped seat formed in theupper end of the horn post of a slug inserting machine. If the hall 12is arranged somewhat to the rear of the last pin it will be found that adevice of this character may be used to support shoes having Louis heelsof a considerable range of height and wedge so that they may be rotatedwithout their toplifts departing substantially from the plane of thepresser plate of the machine.

Such a construction, however, while it has the merit of extremesimplicity, is not of universal application, and where a larger range ofstyles ofshoes is to be dealt with the construction of Figs. 2, 8 and 4may more advantageously. be used. Many heels used upon womens shoes andpractically all heels used upon mens shoes are formed with a portion ofthe peripheries of their tread surfacesat each side and adj scent totheir breast corners approximating to a straight line. To facilitate theslugging of this portion of these heels it is desirable that provisionbe made forgiving the work a substantially rectilinear movement inaddition to the rotary movement which takes place during the slugging ofthe rear portions of the heels. Moreover themost desirable distancebetween the last pin and the Center of rotation will vary with thediameter of the toplift. These points areall adequately cared for by theconstruction shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Accordingly, in this construction the plate 8 carrying the last pin6 andthe stop members 1O isnot rigid with the ball 12 but has pivoted to itbya pin 14 a block 18 having a rectilinear slot or way 20 of circularcrosssection formed .inits lower surface. The block 18 andplate 8 areconnected by an adjusting screw 22 threaded through the block 18 andhaving a ball entering a guideway of circular cross-section in the platei. so that the slot 20 can be adjusted into parallelism with the topliftof the heel of the particular shoebeing operated upon. Any usual orsuitable means may be provided for securing the screwv22 in adjustedposition.

In this form of the device the ball illustrated at 24, which is receivedin slot 20, is formed upon the upper end of a rod shown asa springsuoported plunger 26 seated in a bore formed in the upper endof an adjustable arm 28. Thus, as shown inFig. 2, ball 24 is normally out ofalinement with and to the rear of last pin 6. ll pin 29 engaging a flatsurface formed upon plunger 26 may advantageously be used to preventrotation or the inadvertent displacement of the plunger. To permitsubstantially horizontal adjustment of the last supporting structure asa whole toward and from the fastening inserting instrumentalities(illustrated as an awl 30 and a driver 32) of the machine, the arm 28 ispivoted at 34 to a bracket 36 adjustably clamped upon the horn post ofthe machine. An adjusting screw 38 having a rotary bearing near theextremity of bracket 36 is threaded into arm 28 so that rotation of thescrew will adjust the arm above its pivot 34. Any usual or suitablemeans may be provided to secure the screw in adjusted position. In orderto limit relative movement of the block 18 and the ball 24 a readilyremovable stop such as a block 40 secured in the slot 20 by a screw orpin 42 may he provided. Such a stop will prevent excessive displacementor the ball with respect to the axis of the last pin and may at times beadvantageously used in operupon large flat heels such as are used uponmens shoes and other relatively low heels which call for only a minimum,if any, displacement of the last pin forwardly of the ball. lVhen block40 is removed, the pin or screw 42 will prevent the escape of block 18from the ball.

in the operation of the device screw 22 is idjusted so as to bring slot20 substantially nto parallelism with the toplil't of the heel to beoperated upon and any adjustment is "iade by means of screw 38 which maybe necessary to bring the work into proper relati n to the fasteninginserting instrumentalities oi the machine under these circumstances.The slugging is then proceeded with in the usual manner, the work aswell as the block 18 and the parts carried thereby having either arectilinear movement during which the block slides on ball 24 or arotary movement during which the block rotates about ball 24 or amovement which is a composition of the two, depending upon the shape ofthe heel. During all of this movement the topliftremains substantiallyin the plane of the presser plate of the machine so that the slugging isaccomplished with out undue pressure upon the edge of the heel.Dillerences in the relative inclination of the tonliit and heel-seatinshoes operated upon, which are not large enough to necessitate adjustment oi screw 22, areautomatically taken care of by rocking movementwith rolling contact oi block 18 upon ball 24.

lVhile the invention hasheen herein described with respect to theinsertion of slugs in {the h els of shoes it should he understood thatthis is primarily iorillustrative purposes and that the invention insome of its n.4- in aspects is of a scope to make it useful inconnection with the insertion of 't'astenings of other kinds and inconnection with their insertion in other parts of shoes. Bearing this inmind the words slug, topli'tt, heel, etc., should be taken in anillustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent oi the United States is:

1. In a fastening insertingmachine having an abutment against which thetread surface of a heel is held during the insertion of slugs step bystep around the heel, a work support comprising a plate, a last pincarried by the plate, a ball carrying the plate arranged topermitrocking movement of the plate and normally positioned out ofalinement with the last pin, and means to prevent relative rotation or"the last and the last pin constructed and arranged to permit the treadsurface of the heel of a shoe on a last car ried by the work support tobe rotated dur ing the insertion of fastenings with its tread surface atall times in a single plane.

2. In a fastening inserting machine having an abutment against which aplane surface of the work may be held during the insertion of a seriesof fastenings therein, a work support comprising a ball and a workholding member carried thereby and mounted for sliding and rockingmovement relatively to each other to permit rotation of the work duringthe insertion of tastenings with said plane surface of the work at alltimes in a ingle plane.

3. In a machine for inserting tastenings step by step around the heelend of a shoe bottom, a work support having a work restraining stop, amember carrying the work support, said work support being ar 'anged forrocking movement with rolling contact about said member and for linearmovement relatively thereto.

at. In a machine for inserting slugs step by step around a heel, a lastsupport having a last restraining stop arranged to engage the exteriorof the cone of a last, a ball carrying said last support, said lastsupport being arranged itor rocking movement with rolling contact aboutsaid ball and for linear movement relatively thereto.

5. A work support comprising a plate, a last pin carried thereby, a pairof lugs arranged to engage the cone of a last to prevent rotation of thelast about the last pin, and a ball carrying the plate for universalmovement and normally out of alinement with the last pin.

6. A work support comprising a plate, a

last pin carried thereby, means for engaging the exterior surface of thecone of a last to prevent rotation of the last about the last pin, andmeans for supporting the plate arranged to permit universal rockingmovement of the plate about a center out of alinement with the axis ofthe last pin.

7. A work support comprising a plate, a last pin carried thereby, a pairof lugs carried by the plate and arranged to prevent rotation of a lastabout the last pin, and a ball carrying the plate for universal movementand normally out of alinement with the last pin.

8. A work support comprising a plate, a last pin carried thereby, a stoparranged to engage the exterior surface of the cone of the last toprevent rotation of the last about the last pin, and a universalconnection supporting the plate arranged to permit rocking movement ofthe plate about a center out of alincment with the axis of the last pin.

9. A work support comprising a post, a ball supported thereby, a blockmounted upon the ball and pivotally and linearly movable relativelythereto, and a last pin carried by the block.

10. A last support comprising a ball, a plate carried by the ball andarranged to engage the top surface of the cone of a last, said platebeing mounted for universal movement relatively to said ball, and a lastpin carried by the plate.

11. A work support comprising a post, a ball supported thereby, a blockcarried by the ball and ar anged for sliding and rolling .iovementthereon, and a last pin carried by the block.

12. A work support comprising a post carrying a ball, a block carried bythe ball and arranged for sliding and rolling movement thereon, and alast pin carried by the block.

13. A work support comprising a post carrying a ball, a block carried bythe ball and arranged for sliding and rolling movement with respectthereto, and a last pin adjustably carried by the block.

1%. A work support comprising a ball, and a work holding member carriedthereby and mounted for sliding and rolling movement with respectthereto.

15. A work support comprising a plate, a last pin carried by the plate,a ball, a block mounted upon the ball for sliding and rolling movement,and means for adjustably connecting the plate and the block.

16. A work support comprising a last pin, a block on which the last pinis mounted, and a carrying member with respect to which the block hasboth rocking and linear sliding contact.

17. A work support comprising a last pin, a block upon which the lastpin is mounted, and a ball arranged to carry the block and having bothsliding and rocking contact therewith.

18. A work support comprising a block, a

block and with respect to which the block has both sliding and rockingcontact.

19. A worlr support comprising a slotted block, a last pin carriedthereby, means for angularly adjusting the last pin with respect to theblock, and a ball positioned in the slot of the block, and with respectto which the block may have both sliding and rocking contact.

20. A work support comprising a post carrying a ball, a block providedwith a slot housing said ball to permit rocking and slid ing movement o1the block upon the ball, and a last pin carried by the block.

9-1. A work support comprising a rod terminating in a ball, a blockprovided with a slot housing said ball to permit rocking and slidingmovement of the block upon the ball, a plate pivoted to the block, meansfor adjusting the plate with respect to the block, and a last pincarried by the plate.

22. A work support having a last engagi; member, and a carrying membertherefor, the last engaging member being mounted on the carrying memberfor rocking movement and for substantially rectilinear movementrelatively to the carrying member in a direction approximately parallelto the surface of the work upon which an operation is to be performed.

23. A work support having a last pin, and a carrying member thereton thelast pin beinn mounted on the carrying member for rocking movement andfor substantially rec? tilinear movement relatively to the carryingmember in a direction approximately parallel to the surface of the workupon which an operation is to be performed.

24. A work support comprising an adjustably supported arm, a plungercarried by the arm, a ball formed upon the end of the plum;- er, a blockhaving a slot in which the ball. is housed for sliding: and rockingmovement, a plate pivoted to the block, a screw for adjusting thepivotal relation of the plate and the block, and a last pin carried bythe plate.

25. A work support comprising an adjustably support-ed arm, a plungercarried by the arm, a ball formed upon the end of the plunger, a blockhaving a. slot in which the ball ishoused for sliding and rockingmovement, a stop for limiting sliding movement of the block with respectto the 7 ball, a plate pivoted to the block, a screw for block, a lastpin carried thereby, means for angularly adjusting the last pin withrespect to the block, a ball housed in the slot of the block, and withrespect to which the block may have both sliding and rocking contact,and a stop for limiting the relative sliding movement of the block andthe ball.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

VICTOR E. HIPPERSON. JOSEPH GOULDBOURN.

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